People: Juaquin Silva.

People mentioned that I'll likely meet lots of interesting folks along the way.  It's already started on the rideshare van ride up to Ashland, OR. 

Juaquin Silva is a pro bmx rider (revenge industries, 43 hardware, s&m bikes, etc), bmx contest judge, and course builder (picture in front of the van and our bikes are on the rack).  We were talking about biking and he shared that he has done bike tours - on his bmx!  He rode from Santa Barbara to Costa Mesa once over two days on a bmx... That's what I call seriously hardcore.

Also, I received a surprising reaction at one of the stops.  A guy overheard discussion about my trip and said, "Oh, so you're one of those guys who slows down traffic on 101." Apparently he used to live on the coastal route in a few places and disliked the cyclists due to the impact on speed on the 101 of the RVs and bicycles (I always think of cyclists as the good guys so was helpful to hear his view).  We talked for a it and joked around some about traffic/drivers/tourists and he became friendlier as we talked.  At the end, he shook my hand before leaving and wished me good luck on my trip. 

With communication, even motorists and cyclists can get along.  OK, maybe that's a bit of a melodramatic statement but it was a funny exchange.

Juaquin, bmx bicycle pro and tourer: